This review is for Sculptor Louise Nevelson's "Dawn Shadows Sculpture" in the Chicago Loop…read more.... I was on the Brown Line L Train platform and peered down from the right side of Wells Street looking South....and saw the amazing artwork at 200 W. Madison Street...which in itself is a striking modernistic building made of glass allowing the passengers from the L platform to see the art inside the building which I understand is an apartment building with office suites. This is where I learned about the famous Sculptor Louise Nevelson....born in Ukraine in 1899 she passed away in New York City in 1988. Her contributions and artwork includes: "monumental, monochromatic, wooden wall pieces and outdoor sculptures." According to Wikipedia. Her works can be viewed at the Museums of Modern Art in both New York City and San Francisco among other museums. She was influenced by Alexander Calder and Pablo Picasso among others. The Harris Theater also features a sculpture of a Stage Curtain for the Opera Orfeo and Euridice from 1984! Ms. Nevelson designed the sets and costumes for Christoph Willibald Gluck's Orfeo and Euridice Opera. See:http://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/08/arts/opera-gluck-s-orfeo-in-st-louis.html?mcubz=0 Her Featured "Dawn Shadows Sculpture" was influenced by the Loop Brown Line and the best vantage point is from the Brown Line Platform at the Washington/Wells Stop. The City of Chicago states, "[I]n "Dawn Shadows," Ms. Nevelson is best known for her large wooden relief sculptures composed of stacked box-enclosures and original and found objects Like most of her work, this steel sculpture is monochromatic and responds to the complexities of urban structures." Now I want to return and explore "the found objects" that are used in the sculpture....and learn more as well as visit the Harris Theater to see her sculpture there! See:https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_s_publicartlouisenevelsonsdawnshadows.html

I love this mural in Bucktown. Just half a block west of Ashland, you'll find Vivian Maier involved…read morein the pastime that brought her such great posthumous fame and acclaim. Maier took over 100,000 photos in her lifetime. Most of these were in Chicago, though she did take some in other cities. She was a mystery in life; most of her life she spent as a nanny in Chicago, though at one time she was a house cleaner for Phil Donahue. It may have been serendipity that her failure to pay rent on a storage unit led to its being auctioned off. A few folks in Chicago purchased her thousands of negatives, and they went viral after on of the new owners posted them online. Maier is one of the most important amateur photographers in American history--probably the most important, history. I like this little mural, depicting Maier engaging in her life's work. We're lucky she quietly documented Chicago's history from the 50's through 80's. There are documentaries to learn more about her, and your can find her work exhibited on occasion in various places.

This is a single-tiered fountain with a pool. It is located in the Polonia Triangle, in the…read moreChicago's Polish section. The fountain was constructed in 1998 as part of the city's public fountain program, but it looks much older. It has definitely seen better days, but I am glad that at least it is operational. It provides a soothing flow. The fountain is named after novelist, Nelson Algren, who lived in the area and is best known for his novel The Man with the Golden Arm, which won the first National Book Award in 1950. You will find a plaque on the ground around the fountain with a quote from one of Algren's essays, Chicago: City on the Make. It reads, "For the masses who do the city's labor also keep the city's heart." The fountain is made of black iron and has a pool that is about 9 feet in diameter.This is definitely not a destination piece and most viewers will be transiting the Triangle.

"For the masses who do the city's labor also keep the city's heart" reads the inscription around…read morethe Nelson Algren fountain located on the Polish Triangle, near the Division street Blue Line Stop. This is a quote from Chicago: City on the Make, which sums up this city better than anything I have ever read. This review is not for the uninteresting design of the fountain that is a favorite amongst pigeons and the homeless. It is for the idea. One of the turning points of Algren's masterpiece, The Man with the Golden Arm is when Frankie Machine drunkenly crashes his automobile into the triangle, where fountain is located, paralyzing his wife. Division street, especially the portion between Ashland and Damen was the focal point of this novel, and mentioned in some of his other works. It is also located only a few blocks away from his long time residence on Evergreen street.

With the number of festivals growing every year - I think the number now stands somewhere around…read more25,000 neighborhood festivals in Chicago alone (that may be slight hyperbole since that averages out to about 40 per neighborhood, but it sure seems that way) - the best that a festival can hope to do is reflect the neighborhood around it. And, maybe I'm just being biased since it's a block north of my apartment, but I think Boulevard Bash might have done that better than any festival in the history of the universe (that might be slight hyperbole since permutation says there have probably been billions of festivals on various planets since the universe began and I haven't attended every one of them, but it sure seems that way). Just a brief bike ride up Milwaukee from the new heart of coolness, Boulevard Bash exploded onto the scene this year with a Chicago band focus headlined by Waco Brothers, Smoking Popes (who were incredible on the one night of the three I went), and some band I've never heard of. But, in the words of Meat Loaf, "two out of three ain't bad." Wait, he's not from Chicago. Let's pretend like someone local covered him. But, well beyond this, on Saturday night, on the "side stage" (which was a bit too close to the main stage and had some sound bleed at the back) there was a mini-festival in the evening devoted to the Polish character of the neighborhood. And people came out for it decked out all in red, waving Polish flags, and rocking out. It wasn't polka bands. It was live, modern music sung by imports and second-generations and people who just wanted to be Polish for the night. And, similarly, the people were the slightly gentrified, rough around the edges, friends and neighbors that make me glad to call Logan Square home. There is a slight problem in all of my over-romanticizing of the festival as some sort of local showcase. There were very few vendors at all and only one or two of them were local restaurants. With the huge amount of hip places and old stand-bys in the L7, they could have probably found any number willing to sling their foods and drinks. Also, the sponsor was Dos Equis. With Revolution Brewery right down the street they missed an opportunity of a local brewery sponsorship. Not that I minded seeing cutouts of the World's Most Interesting Man (a well-created master of hyperbole himself) all around or cute college-aged girls in safari gear running games (although this did clog the middle of the festival). Maybe next year, this will be the best festival in Chicago and they can extend it down Sacramento right to my doorstep (how much more local can you get than that?). After all, I've been to so many street fairs that I no longer go to festivals, festivals come to me. And, well, that's less hyperbole than most of the things I've said. Or is it?

The 2008 Greater Chicago Jewish Festival, the heart and soul of Jewish Chicago, will be held on…read moreSunday, June 15, at the Forest Preserve at Oakton (8000 N) and Lehigh (6300 W) in Morton Grove, from 11am-6pm. Rain location is Niles West HS, 5701 Oakton in Skokie. Ugandan Jews headline as part of continuous music and dance throughout the day. Unique in its celebration of Jewish culture in America, the festival seeks to combine all aspects of the Chicagoland Jewish community. Four stages of music and dance create a vibrant background for over 40,000 attendees, who also can wander through the extensive art bazaar featuring artists from the U.S. and Israel. Several acts are new to the festival this year. In addition to the Ugandan Jews, theJewish rock band, Blue Fringe, will perform. Past Festival favorites such as Stuart Rosenberg, Jeff Klepper and Rabbi Joe Black are returning to entertain their fans. Representing the backbone of the Jewish community will be over 80 booths of co-sponsoring Jewish organizations reflecting the community's interests and diversity. Nearby visitors can browse in the Book Shuk, where visiting authors will sign their latest works. With their parents in tow, children will revel at the Hands-On tent and the kids' stage. Everyone will enjoy the strictly kosher food court, which features several cooking demonstrations in addition to falafel, pizza, ice cream and more. The Festival has something for everyone--teens, adults, children and seniors; families, singles and groups of friends; cultural, religious or secular Jews; those interested in any part of Jewish life. "The Festival provides an opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate Jewish culture rather than the crises which punctuate our lives," commented Michael Lorge, the Festival's founder and executive director. The all-day Festival, the largest Jewish cultural event in Chicago, is produced by the Jewish POCET, an all volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to creating quality events for the Chicago Jewish community. Free parking next to the Festival grounds. For more information or to volunteer for the Festival please call 847-933-3000 or visit at www.jewishfestival.org

In the late night hours after "Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular", my friends texted me, "How…read morewas it?!?!" My reply... "I just got back from the taping of Oprah's last shows! It was AMAZING! She gave everyone an iPad, a new car, angel wings, 5 lbs of crystal meth, and a mountain lion!!!" Well, those of us who were there, know that didn't really happen, but it could have. All I have to say is that it was truly a spectacular night full of celebrities & surprise performances! Seriously, EVERYONE and their grandma was there. Just about every celebrity was in attendance. Just look at their Twitter feed. Yeah, that's right, not one celebrity was on Twitter because they were all at "Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular!" Well, maybe not EVERY celebrity was there, just the A List celebrities that mattered. I could tell you EVERYTHING that happened that night, but I don't want to ruin it for you. Besides, you're going to watch it all on television anyway, so what's the point of me spoiling the whole thing for you. Instead, I'll leave you with my tweets from my night behind the scenes at "Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular!". 06:31pm: I checked in at United Center (1901 W Madison St) on #Yelp http://bit.ly/853Cvu 06:41pm: Chillin with my peeps from ABC. Thanks for the invite, Gayle. I still can't believe that your BFF had the Bulls move their game to tomorrow! 07:00pm: Just ran into Tyler Perry & Dave Chappelle. #BehindTheScenes 07:01pm: Dave Chappelle's skinny a$$ needs to eat a sandwich. #RealTalk 07:12pm: Oh snap! Jay-Z's ugly mug & Beyonce's big a$$ are here too! 07:35pm: Rosie O'Donnell... I like her... she just told me that I'm beautiful. 07:40pm: Tom Hanks looks old as fu¢k. I'm not just saying that cuz I'm beautiful. He looks like he farts dust. 07:50pm: I wonder how crazy Tom Cruise is gonna get. Some industry peeps are taking bets on whether he'll throw his own fecal matter on stage or not. 07:53pm: Madonna is here too. Hmmm... I wonder if her daughter is 18 yet. #DjManwhore 08:01pm: Dave Chappelle killed all the grape drink they had backstage. He's lucky Oprah is busy filming her last shows right now. 08:04pm: I'm glad Beyonce's performance went well. I wasn't too sure what would happen based on what I heard about the sound check. 08:14pm: Never mind... they're doing Beyonce's performance over again. It's all good. I don't mind watching her big a$$ in that tuxedo outfit again. 08:21pm: The United Center is jukin right now. It's like they gave Oprah's fans free lines of coke at the door. 08:25pm: Simon Cowell thinks he's a bada$$ cuz all the guests checked in at The Peninsula under aliases & he's the only one to use his real name. LOL 08:31pm: Oprah's final taping fell on #BigGirlAppreciationDay. Coincidence? I think not. 08:36pm: I may have misunderstood what Diane Sawyer just said, but I could swear that she just compared Oprah to god. #OprahIsBlackJesus 08:42pm: If Michael Jackson moonwalks his a$$ onto the stage at The United Center & hugs Oprah, I'll be convinced that #OprahIsBlackJesus. 08:49pm: Forget about Katie Holmes & Halle Berry. Queen Latifah is here! I'm going home with her tonight! #RealTalk #BigGirlAppreciationDay 08:59pm: Some cougar just said, "Michael Jordan is here". Her much younger "assistant" looked up from his phone & said, "Who is Michael Jordan?" #SMH 09:07pm: Round 1... FINISHED. $hit is crazy, son! I was just told about the couple that got engaged during the crowd warmup! #WhoDoesThat? 09:23pm: The plumbing here is gonna get all fu¢ked up when all these crazy Oprah fans stampede for the bathrooms at the same time. 09:36pm: "Tupac & Biggie are supposed to be on the 2nd taping." You are a liar, Dave Chappelle. Go eat a sandwich! RAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! 09:50pm: Stevie Wonder, Will Smith, Jerry Seinfeld. Guess which one looks tired from banging Jada Pinkett in different parts of The United Center. 10:09pm: IDK about Dr Oz. He says "Do this if you wanna look young" but he looks like he's 80! #WhatsReallyGoingOn? 10:31pm: I just saw Antoine Dodson. I wouldn't be surprised if the Numa Numa guy & the Chocolate Rain guy were here to bid farewell to Oprah too. LOL 10:47pm: Sorry, Queen Latifah, I'm leaving with Alicia Keys tonight. #SwizzBeatsWho? 11:03pm: If Stedman proposes to Oprah at The United Center, there is gonna be a riot, and Gayle is gonna be the one to start it. 11:04pm: I checked in at United Center (1901 W Madison St) on #Yelp http://bit.ly/853Cvu 11:31pm: That's a wrap! 11:40pm: Kinda disappointed... I was hoping that Oprah & Gayle would make out at the end. #JustSayin Holla!!!™

I always wondered about this guy. I mean, he could be the nicest guy ever, helping old ladies…read moreacross the street, picking up groceries, donating time with underprivileged and the sort. It not that I worry about, no. It's what does he do when nature calls. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a toilet in his 'can't-even-be 10x10' shack. He has tons of newspapers, sold for 1.50, and plenty of time since most cars pass him by without even the slightest humane acknowledgment. I used to buy the Sunday edition of the Sun-Times from him a bit ago, may be some two years ago. Why did I stop? Aside from the whiskey breath, he gipped me a a few quarters and took a long stare at my mom's chest in a tank top (Chicago Winter Weather at the time: 50 or so degrees).

You will know him by his boombox and his dancing skills. He may be in lycra. He may be on roller…read moreskates. This mysterious Asian hipster performs for all, yet seems not to care about the eyes watching him. Look for him year 'round, but he is easier to find in the summer months.

The first time I saw this guy, I thought he may have been a new member of the Jackass crew pulling…read moreshenanigans all over town in weird get-ups. Turns out, no not so much, he's just plain CRASIAN.